US central office & core network
The active network: OLTs, ODFs, aggregation, BNGs, core and edge routers, CO power and cooling.
Overview
The central office (CO) houses the active network. Outside-plant fiber terminates on the optical distribution frame (ODF), where it is patched to OLT PON ports. Each OLT port serves many homes through splitters and handles ONT authentication, bandwidth, service profiles and VLANs. OLT uplinks feed aggregation routers and switches, which collect traffic from many OLTs with redundant links so one failure does not take an area down. Broadband network gateways (BNGs) handle subscriber sessions, IP addresses and policies. Aggregation connects to the metro and core networks — high-capacity routers on 100–800 Gbit/s links, often over DWDM optical transport — and the internet edge routers exchange routes with transit providers, internet exchanges and content networks using BGP. All of this runs on DC power from rectifiers with battery strings and a standby generator, and cooling that keeps the room in range.
Jobs this covers
us_olt, us_odf, us_agg, us_edge, us_bng, us_co_power, us_hvac — certificate: US central office & NOC (required)
The equipment — what everything does
OLT (optical line terminal)
Lights the PON, authenticates ONTs and applies service profiles. Multiple PON ports per shelf.
In game: /towers → OPS America Fiber → Central office · optical & routing → OLT.
ODF (optical distribution frame)
Terminates, organises and patches outside-plant fiber to equipment.
In game: Central office · optical & routing → ODF.
Aggregation / core router
Collects OLT traffic and carries it across the metro and core with redundancy.
In game: Central office · optical & routing → Aggregation / core router.
Internet edge router / BNG
BGP to transit and peering; subscriber sessions, IP assignment and policies.
In game: Central office · optical & routing → Edge router / BNG.
DC power plant
Rectifiers turn AC into -48 V DC; batteries carry the load in an outage; a generator takes over for long ones.
In game: Central office · power & HVAC.
HVAC
Indoor cooling and an outdoor condenser keep the equipment room in temperature range.
In game: Central office · power & HVAC.
Tools & PPE
Engineer laptop & console cable
Configures routers, NVRs and servers, runs speed tests and opens OPS Hub.
Optical light meter / OTDR
Measures how much light arrives down a fibre, and where along it a break or bad splice is.
ESD wrist strap PPE
Grounds you so static electricity doesn't destroy server and network boards.
Torque driver
Tightens electrical terminals and rack rails to the correct torque — not too loose, not stripped.
Label printer
Labels both ends of every cable and port so the next engineer knows what is what.
Multimeter / voltage tester
Proves a circuit is dead before you touch it, and measures voltage, continuity and resistance.
Lock-off kit
Padlocks and tags that stop anyone switching a circuit back on while you work on it.
ESD wrist strap PPE
Grounds you so static electricity doesn't destroy server and network boards.
Safety glasses PPE
Protect your eyes from fibre shards, drilling dust and laser light.
Insulated gloves PPE
Rated gloves for work near live electrical parts and for sharp metal edges.
Standalone servers: tools are in your van (OPS Work → My van & tools). Items servers: collect them — and the job’s parts — at an OPS depot.
Step by step
Check the design, rack space, power budget and a maintenance window with the NOC.
Rack the equipment, bond it to the CO earth, wear your ESD strap.
Land -48 V DC from the power plant on the right breaker; lock-off while you work.
Patch from the ODF to the OLT PON ports or router optics; clean and inspect every connector.
Label ports, patches and circuits and update inventory.
The NOC loads the configuration, checks alarms, optics and traffic, and brings up redundancy.
Health & safety
DC power and batteries
Risk: Battery strings can deliver huge currents — burns and arc flash.
Control: Insulated tools, lock-off, no jewellery, eye protection.
Static discharge
Risk: ESD destroys line cards and optics.
Control: Wear an ESD wrist strap when handling cards.
Laser light
Risk: High-power optics can damage eyes.
Control: Never look into ports or patch cords.
Lifting
Risk: Heavy shelves and batteries cause injuries.
Control: Two-person lifts and lifting aids.
In game you confirm these in a risk assessment before starting. Skipping them on risky work can cause a fall or a shock — and it’s logged as a safety incident.
When it’s not done correctly
Patching the wrong ODF port
A whole neighbourhood lands on the wrong OLT port — nobody activates.
No redundant uplink
One link failure takes the whole area offline.
Generator not tested
Batteries run flat in a long outage and the CO goes dark.
Cooling failure ignored
Equipment overheats and shuts down.
Changes outside a maintenance window
Unplanned outage for thousands of customers.